SHU Elizabeth

For the role of goodwill, a prostitute in the drama "Leaving Las Vegas" Elisabeth Shue was nominated for an Oscar. The roles of physicists in the action movie "Holy" and the recent thriller "Invisible Man" brought her world fame.

"Invisible Man" put Paul Verhoeven, who last studied physics and holds a doctorate in Physics and Mathematics. It is no exaggeration to say that "Invisible Man" Elisabeth Shue embodies alter ego producer. It plays a physicist Linda Foster, who faces a moral dilemma: whether to give into the hands of the military is a powerful weapon, like invisibility.

. "Verhoeven said from the outset that he intends to remove the dark and sexually charged story of human vices - says Elisabeth Shue. - "Invisible" scary not because of the abundance of blood, but because it shows the disintegration of personality. "

The success of the film was given a heavy price. During the filming Elizabeth torn Achilles tendon, and the studio set for directing the question of replacing it with another actress. Verhoeven was adamant: No, it will only be removed by Elisabeth Shue! Huge prestige director in Hollywood allowed him to achieve a temporary cessation of filming until recovery actress. As a thank Shu ventured out to the shooting until they are cured and courageously fought with claudication in the remaining two months of work.

But the result justified all the efforts. The film released in the U.S. in the summer season and the combatants have collected more than $ 70 million.

However, the outgoing year has become important for Elisabeth Shue and for other reasons. After meeting on the set of "Invisible Man" with director - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Elizabeth decided that simply must graduate from Harvard University, who threw 15 years ago, not survival rates of all semester.

. Then, in the 21-year film career seemed to her more important. But after working in Hollywood, she realized that "it wither brains", and decided a little change of scenery, to feel again like a normal person, not a doll.

. Of course, she did not intend to become a nuclear physicist, as her character in "Invisible Man". But now she has a diploma of the political scientist, and if there is no good roles, she simply goes to a teaching job. She likes the atmosphere of the university. She said that in the future probably will try myself to the director's career - probably because her husband David Gaggenhaym been a director. And, most likely, if possible, will produce their own films, to control what happens on the set.

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Spines and thorns

While Elizabeth took it a rule never to say anything bad about his films and partners, . She does not hide, . that sometimes it infuriates not "compute", . that the film obtained, . The biggest surprise (and embarrassment) became her big-budget action movie "Saint". Elizabeth played her heroine, based on the fact that in the final she will die. But test screenings the audience did not like it, and then was quickly shot a new ending, in which the heroine finds love and happiness. "I would never have started playing it as an innocent dove, if she knew that her leave alive!" - Sorry to say Elizabeth shortly after the premiere of "Ghost".

In the case of the tape "Leaving Las Vegas" was different. This film made Elizabeth a famous actress, but before shooting all tried to dissuade her from the role of a prostitute. Manager assured me that this film will put an end to her career. Moreover, the director Mike Figgis thought her desire to fads and fancy. Only after much persuasion, he agreed to make a sample ... and immediately signed her contract!

"I do not expect from this film - admitted later Elizabeth. - I just wanted to experience before the camera that went through this woman. I fully shared her desire to give everything for the life of a loved one. I also experienced this ... "

Elizabeth is referring to the death in 1988, beloved brother Will, whom she idolized. He fell from a tree, crashed and died literally in her hands. After his death, she was more than a year of depression, is withdrawn, refused even to communicate with their relatives.

. However, her relationship with her parents has always been uneasy.

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Problem Child

Elisabeth Shue was born into a wealthy family (his mother - a banker, father - lawyer and the builder-developer). By and large it can be called representative of the American aristocracy, as it can trace their ancestors to the British settlers who arrived in the United States in the XVII century. Elizabeth's father was engaged in politics, running for Congress from the Republican Party. On the maternal line of Elizabeth - the fourth in a family woman, who graduated from Harvard.

But the childhood star of the future can not be called an aristocratic. She had three brothers, and Liz quickly blended in with their company, becoming, in effect, the fourth little brother. At equal with the boys played football, hockey and rugby, climbed on trees and dived into the pond. The family lived in a large rural mansion in New Jersey, the mother and father worked all the time, and Liz barely saw them.

She was 11 years old when my parents decided to leave. The girl survived their hard gap. Felt bad to learn, too late to come home, smoked grass. In high school she was considered the most desperate young girl in school. In 15 years it even arrested for driving a car without a driver's license. Talking to the police, she acted out her first life sketch actor: so cool portrayed an adult that she believed and was released on parole.

In 16 years there has been a painful awareness of their femininity. Liz could no longer play with the boys in football - they like to play with it in other games. And she always laughed at her boyfriend. She was considered the most nezakompleksovannoy girl in school, but in fact Liz was terrified of all - relationships, affection, responsibility. Before her eyes the whole time was an example of parents, so she did not come near to her, although she was afraid of loneliness.

. Star fame only worsened the situation on the personal front: she began to feel that guys do not fall in love with her, and in its image.

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Love Story

Liz was 16 years old when she was invited to play in a Burger King restaurant advertising. The freshness and innocence of the debutants liked the actor's agent, and she was invited to Hollywood. First, she starred in advertising, then starred in a television series "Call to Glory" (Call to Glory), and then arrived, and the first film role - Elizabeth played a girlfriend of the hero in the movie "Karate Kid".

. Soon she began to Hollywood incarnation of "trophy girls" - a nice and quite memorable beauty that guy gets in the end of the film for his exploits. Elizabeth could not stand her heroines, but the inertia was shot in one film after another and tried to convince myself that life is going well.

The death of Will's brother knocked it out of a rut. It ceased to be removed, was almost every day to go to psychotherapy, and, as acknowledged later in her soul now and then crept thought of suicide. Everything changed that day, when she met David.

Producer David Gaggenhaym while also experiencing a rather difficult period in life. He had a prestigious job, a lot of money, own production film company, but he wanted to be a director, but he did not know whether he has enough strength and talent to succeed in his new endeavors.

They met by chance. Friends dragged Elizabeth in bowling in the hope that it will shatter a little. While the others were chasing balls, Elizabeth in old jeans, unpainted, unkempt, sitting on the sidelines and waited, until you can leave without offending anyone. And she noticed a guy who just sat apart from the others and watched with indifference to other people's fun. An hour passed, two ... They still sat, each on its own, and watched the others enjoy themselves, and the guy every now and then glanced sideways at her.

In the end, she could not stand it - came up and asked him whether he wants to invite her for a cup of coffee. "Of course I want!" - He replied with enthusiasm.

So why is he still did not do? It turns out, would not be imposed. Surely such a movie star, Miss Shu, constantly suffers from obsessive attention of fans, and he did not want to aggravate its position of his impudence.

. So, it means that he recognized her? No cosmetics, clothes from Armani, without the star shine?. "Well, of course, from the first minute!"

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Again, as a boy

On that day they left the bowling alley together. We sat in cafes, strolling through the streets, chatting about life, and when realizing that it's time to go home, it was six o'clock. Two weeks later, Elizabeth moved in with David. They perfectly complemented each other: David encouragement, Liz, Liz nudged David.

Soon after he resigned from the directors and producers to become engaged in documentary. She, in turn, came to Harvard. Then he has starring role in "Leaving Las Vegas" and has been so desperately and uncompromisingly, . that the roof caved in on her awards - Award of the National Society of Film Critics, . Los Angeles-based Film Critics Association, . Award "Independent Spirit", . nomination for an Oscar, . It would seem that all evolved perfectly.

Idyll nearly collapsed on the set of "Ghost" in England. Partner Elizabeth Val Kilmer at the time of divorce with his wife, British actress Joanne Whalley, and apparently decided to lightly tickle the vanity of the former spouse. He telephoned his beautiful partner, and said that, well, he with his little daughter is at the Wimbledon Championships. Not if she wanted to join them - in fact she is probably bored in England alone, without a husband? "Elizabeth agreed, did not feel any mischief

. And the next day all the British tabloids have published photos kissing Val and Elizabeth, and wrote that Val found himself a new lover. Elizabeth vehemently denied the rumors, but Kilmer on all questions answered laconically: "No comment" - which, of course, further inflamed the curiosity of newsmen.

. "Of course, David did not believe it, but it still was very upset," - said later, Elizabeth. Fortunately, her husband, their offense is not embodied in domestic quarrels, and in a satirical strip "Gossip," which mocked Hollywood mores. Everyone was waiting for a divorce - but the relationship of Elizabeth and David's only been strengthened.

In 1997, they had a son, Miles. "Now I am again living in a man's company - just like a child!" - Laughing, she says. In his spare time the family leaves on nature: they lazyat trees, dive into the pond and play football. 37-year-old Elizabeth feels like a kid again. However, from time to time it is released in a very "adult" roles (eg, a courtesan in "Cousin Bette") and then she has to remember that it is still a movie star.

. When Elizabeth was shot in the rape scene in the film "Leaving Las Vegas", after filming the actors who played the rapists, brought her a huge bouquet of roses. All day Elizabeth could hardly keep back the nerves, but with a bunch "of rapists, she became hysterical.

. At pereozvuchivanii "Invisible" Elizabeth sometimes turned away from the screen - it was terrible.

. Although most scenes "Invisible" Elizabeth was shot with a partner, "invisible" Kevin Bacon (he subsequently removed from the frame with the help of computers), an intimate scene she had to play without a partner.

. Elisabeth Shue's brother Andrew also became an actor and became famous in the television series "Melrose Place."